C. A. BARBER 



1-25 



all the as and all the 6s of the group, we thus find that the latter are penahzed 

 as to average thickness. But the fact remains, whatever its cause may be, 

 that there is often little difference between the thickness of the main shoot 

 and its immediate branches. And, in dividing up the canes in a clump, both 

 must be classed as early in their general character. The cs and ds are sharply 

 separated oft" from the as and 6s as thick, late canes, and can be readily 

 picked out at harvest by this and other characters. 



In the Thick cane group there is a curious exception. While the six varie- 

 ties examined at Coimbatore and the dry land canes at Nellikuppam show a 

 considerable increase in thickness of the 6s over the as, this is not the case in the 

 wet land plants at the latter place. In these the as are the thickest and there 

 is a general decrease in thickness as we pass to the higher branchings. The 

 Red Mauritius at the Cane-breeduig Station (and indeed at NeUikuppam on 

 the dry land) are more or less in line with the other varieties. The figures for 

 Red Mauritius on the farm, for instance, are a 270, 6 312, c 347. We may, 

 in the absence of any further light on the case, merely record the fact here and 

 regard it as an exception which may indicate some peculiarity in wet land 

 conditions. 



Average thickness of cane at 2' from the base, in mm. 



Groups 



Saietha 

 Pansahi 

 MuDgo 

 Sunnabile 

 Nargori 

 Thick canes 



Keil Mauritius, Nellikuppam Dryland 

 Wet land 

 Unclassified indigenous 

 Ro^^ues 



Crosses, Vellai x Saccharum spontaneum 

 Saccbarum spontaneum ... ... 



Saccharum arundinaceum ... 



Average of all the groups ... 



All the branches of the same ordek 

 taken together 



In each plant In each variety I In each group 



d e f 



159 166 



166 166 

 187 190 

 189 192 

 151 156 

 263 282 

 294 304 

 290 274 

 164 173 

 170 196 

 158 177 

 73 77 

 1531172 



178 

 189 

 21(1 

 209 

 175 

 298 

 805 

 261 

 208 

 211 

 231 

 83 

 209 



192 

 223 

 204 

 262 

 13 

 345 

 299 

 270 

 251 

 210 



237 



204 

 284 

 224 



159164 



I6H165 

 187 191 



189 

 162 



;^14 ... 



268 ... 



2i5 !!! 



79 88 

 237 ... 



I77!l87 207 228219 S8 



d\ e \ a 



194 

 224 

 207 

 262 

 211 



1175! 

 185 

 2041 

 220, 

 167 



1881 

 |224i 

 204, 

 262 

 207 



204 

 2f4 

 224 



The work of measuring the thickness of the cane branches of dift'erent 

 orders has not always been altogether simple, and has given rise to a .'-eries of 



